A graduate of the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, she started her career aged 11 in the Cameron Mackintosh production of Les Misérables.
She then auditioned for the part of Chrissy Mainwaring in BBC 1 teenage soap Grange Hill, but eventually won the part of Natalie Stevens, for which her twin sister, Clare, had also auditioned.
Buckfield has also appeared in The Bill (two roles, one in 1993 and one in 1998), Pie in the Sky, London's Burning, Expert Witness (TV series), Casualty and Holby City.
She presented a summer special with Dave Benson-Phillips for The Disney Club.
She played Annie on Channel 4's extr@, a TV program for ESL students.