The Pace Centre, Aylesbury
The Pace Centre is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in Aylesbury. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Pace Centre in detail
The Pace Centre in its own words
In its own words: "We always place the children, young people and families we support at the very heart of all that we do. The habits we seek to cultivate are focus and empathy. We are creative problem-solvers, both in meeting the needs of our children, young people and families, and organisationally. The habits we seek to cultivate are creativity and problem-solving."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Pace Centre are Pebble Brook School (1 mile, Good); Stocklake Park Community School (1.1 miles, Good); Red Balloon Aylesbury (1.4 miles); and Booker Park Community School (2.4 miles, Good).
Pebble Brook SchoolStocklake Park Community SchoolRed Balloon AylesburyBooker Park Community School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Pace Centre has an education, health and care plan (39 of 39 in 2026).
The Pace Centre is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Aylesbury Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holland Road (o/s 4), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 329 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Pace Centre provides an exceptionally well-designed environment for pupils with complex special educational needs and disabilities. Every classroom is purpose-built with integrated physiotherapy zones, accessible facilities, and flexible learning areas. Staff provide high levels of supervision and personalised support, with many pupils receiving one-to-one or small group teaching, ensuring their individual needs and dignity are carefully protected throughout the day.
Key Strengths
- Excellent safeguarding culture with well-trained staff and robust procedures to keep pupils safe
- Exceptionally spacious and highly specialised classrooms with integrated therapeutic facilities designed for pupils with complex physical and sensory needs
- High levels of pupil supervision including substantial one-to-one and small group teaching
- Strong leadership and management with clear understanding of statutory requirements
- Comprehensive risk assessment procedures tailored to individual pupils' needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a vigilant safeguarding culture with well-trained staff, careful entry and exit management, clear supervision procedures for movement between sites and trips, and prompt action on concerns.
The Pace Centre is a special school for pupils with complex needs and disabilities operating from two sites in Aylesbury. The inspection found the school is likely to meet independent school standards if approved to increase pupil numbers from 43 to 49.
About
The PACE Centre is a UK-registered charity and special school based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK. It helps children and young people with motor disorders, such as cerebral palsy.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Pace Centre
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 47
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 42 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
80%
Available places
39 pupils
49 places
10 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Aylesbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Aylesbury
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
39
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Pace Centre is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
39
Total Pupils
21
Boys
18
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Pace Centre
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Pace Centre
What is The Pace Centre's Ofsted rating?
The Pace Centre's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2023, it was rated Outstanding.
Does The Pace Centre meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2023, The Pace Centre met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Pace Centre?
The Pace Centre has around 39 pupils on roll.
Does The Pace Centre have specialist SEN provision?
The Pace Centre is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to The Pace Centre?
The Pace Centre is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Pace Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 42 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Pace Centre?
The Pace Centre is at Coventon Road, Coventon Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP19 9JL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)