To think SOMEONE should be contactable in the school office over summer?

they do,
as do the cleaners, apart from an odd deep clean

Have you checked the school website? Details around clubs and welcome packs for reception are on my sons schools website

This. And even if they could, school jobs are hard to fill anyway and one of the few perks is getting the long holidays off. It's not realistic.

Receptionists have term time only contracts? I don't think that is true though.

i applied to work in a school and was told not to expect a response until after 31st August

It sounds like you have the place, sort out what you need to do for your little one. I don't think it's reasonable for them to be in over the summer, their time off is often restricted or in some cases not allowed during term time, they need that time for their breaks/family time.

The school website should say whether they have an after school or breakfast club or not.

Sometimes they are run by the school and sometimes by an external provider so you may need to contact the external provider.

If the website is not clear you are better off posting on the local Facebook and asking g about it to be honest.

I worked in education for many years and this situation is common. Schools don't staff offices over the summer holiday but will have people back in two or theee days before term start.

At my DC school, the wraparound care is a separate company on the school site, who do holiday club as well. Do you know if this is the case? They should be contactable if so. If you go on the school website you will find the information either way and an email might get to them if you send one.

do you work or have the taken the time off?
who looks after your dc if you are working?

So do I have the place? Do the school have my DS on the register for September?

I refer you to your earlier paragraph:

the council offered me the place a couple of weeks later. I accepted.

That’s it, OP, job done.

Look on the school website for information for new starters, there’s usually a section with all that, including any general letters sent out (if any). There will also be all you need to know about uniform and school
lunches etc.

I know it feels daunting to you, facing your child’s first school, but to them it’s what happens all the time. Don’t worry, it’s all going to be fine.

It's highly likely there will be 1/2 inset days at the start of the new term, where school will be contactable. If I was you, I'd buy all the generic uniform bits now (shoes, trousers etc) then make contact on 2nd September if you can't get through to anyone before. As a PP said, it's highly unlikely reception will be in FT from day one anyway, so you should have a few days to get sorted (and he can always wait a few days for his school jumper). Breakfast club etc is trickier but at this point an extra week probably won't make much difference.

We had a similar when DD2 started Reception. We were invited in on the Inset day before term started, met the teachers and got all the info then.

Most schools do a phased start for reception. So half days for a week or two, and not until second week of term (home visits etc happen in first week).

Reception usually have a staggered start, so they won’t be starting on the first day anyway.

How do I organise breakfast/after school club provisions?

Some schools don’t take reception children for afterschool clubs-does yours definitely do so?

I second the Facebook idea-there’s bound to be a new starters group somewhere.

council offered me the place a couple of weeks later. I accepted.

So do I have the place?
yes, you have the place?

Do the school have my DS on the register for September? What uniform etc do I buy? How do I organise breakfast/after school club provisions?
You check their website?

Staff will be in before the first day of term! Local parents can let you know the uniform, or their website?

There's very few FT staff in schools now as they just can't afford it. It will be bare bones staffing to prep for Sept and they won't have time to answer calls in reception if that's not their normal role.

If you look on the website, see if there's an admissions officer and try and work out what their email address might be and contact directly.

Schools can't afford to keep people on the payroll in the holidays just to hang about and answer the odd email. Nobody, including teachers, gets paid for the holidays. However, there will definitely be people in the few days before term starts, so you will be able to speak to somebody before his first day.

If the council have confirmed the place, yes you have a place.
most info should be on the school website, such as start times, uniform etc.

Try them next week, staff usually start showing up at the end of August at the schools near me, so not unreasonable to wait till next week and start trying to contact them.

Try to connect with other parents. Many schools have a Facebook page etc

• that will help with the logistics like uniform more than getting a hold of a receptionist. I've done similar moves and I know it's frustrating but you have the place confirmed so just focus on reassuring DC how great it will be.