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

I’m a primary school office manager. I can tell you what happens where I work, but that isn’t the case for every school. I work in the holidays, but I’m one of only 2 primaries in the area where this is the case, so I wouldn’t expect a response from most. The Local Authority send the the email with the child’s paperwork to me (and sometimes to the Head, but there’s no consistency there) and I’m supposed to contact the parent within three days to arrange a start date. I wouldn’t assume anything until you have had contact from the school.

we have 2 inset days at the beginning of term where you would be able to come in and see us, buy uniform, etc. but the term dates should be clearly visible on the website - this is a legal requirement. Reception children then don’t start until the following week.

email any addresses you can find on the website and someone will contact you as soon as they’re in work.

OP just to say, it’s gona be alright! Honest! It’s stressful now, but you’re good. You’ve done all the organising and as much as you can. Get settled into your new place and give the school a bell next week. Everything is going to be ok

Have you actually read anything that OP has said? Your comment is massively unkind.

What you think is reasonable I would agree with you. However with the limited funding schools have, I don't blame them for having no staff over the summer holidays.

Hope that the suggestions others have made are helpful.

Head teachers and business managers will be in the week before.
Email the school and ask them to contact you. Also (sorry haven't read all other answers) but they'll be a group either on Facebook/whatsapp with the new reception parents who'll be able to help with uniform ASC etc

I'd also not stress it if he misses the first day. Also worth bearing in mind he'll likely have a phased start so don't plan for a full 9-3 days for the first (at least) week x

Ask HR at the LA to send an email to the headteacher to contact you and look on the school website for information ref uniform and contact details to leave a voice mail.

Most schools will have an inset day on the first Monday back and senior staff will check email during school closure.

It will all be very rushed but there should be a couple of Inset days before school opens. Check the school holidays on the schools website.

Also, check to see if the school runs a Holiday Club, they may have a contact number for this, a mobile number, then maybe you can speak to someone.

I would say buy 1 jumper and everything else keep neutral and send a packed lunch as the free school lunches may need setting up still.

Definitely check for Inset days as they will have staff in then. My Sons school return on the Wednesday with Monday and Tuesday being the Inset Days. My school also mentioned before the holidays that they will only let you book breakfast clubs etc nearer to September as they need to switch all the kids up a year and they didn’t want prices messed up so this would be last minute.

First day of term is normally an INSET day so office staff will be in checking emails etc. if the council have offered you a place then that’s it. I would buy the uniform etc. you can ring school on that day and they will be able to sort out breakfast club etc. office staff don’t work during holidays as we are on 39 week contracts.

I work in a school office. Whilst I understand where you’re coming from, you are being a little bit unreasonable. Most school office staff don’t work or get paid for the holidays.

There are two of us in our primary school office. Whilst in reality we do check in with emails once every week or two, and will reply to anything urgent, we don’t have to and it shouldn’t be expected.

If you have been offered the place and have accepted it, then it will be fine. There are one, if not two, INSET days in the w/c 2nd September before term starts (for example in my school, staff are all in Tues 3rd / Wed 4th and the children come back Thursday 5th). The office staff will be in then, so you can contact them for precise details. In the meantime, the school website will have information re: the first day of term, what the uniform is etc. If your child doesn’t have correct uniform for the first week or two, no one is going to lose any sleep over it. You may fine the school stock the jumpers etc (we do - so parents can buy them and have them straight away) but it does vary, some schools you have to order and the uniform company will post to you. But this information may be on the school website if you look?

But in essence, don’t panic. You can sort it all out at the start of September.

It's worrying, totally understand. Most staff are back the week before school starts so hopefully you should get some info then

As others have said reception starts are usually staggered. My son doesn’t start reception until a week after the school returns, he will be in for half a day only the first week. So it means a week of juggling work and him. I guess would be the same for you anyway. This will also give you time to sort breakfast club etc.

Not all schools, my daughter started the same time as everyone else last year on full days from the start

Hope everything works out for you and you DS, sounds like you have been felt with a pretty poor hand by you XP

You are being massively unreasonable! The world does not revolve around you and your house move!!

School office staff do not eagerly sit by the phone in the hope you might call 🤣🤣

Having worked in a school before, the office staff have to take their holidays during the school holidays, no exceptions, so that may explain why you're unable to speak to anyone specific.
That said, many secondary schools do have skeleton reception cover for deliveries, exam results, etc, but admission queries would have to be dealt with someone with specialist knowledge on the subject.

Even if you turn up on day 1 with a pile of questions, everything can get sorted in day 1. Not many schools have office cover during holiday time (I work in a school), but we can all cope with instant new starters. Staff start back a couple days before the children, so they will have things in hand. Please don’t worry. Hope you’ve settled into your new home and your little one enjoys the new school.

People can and do work remotely. Or can go in, especially at the beginning and end of the holidays.
My sister is the office manager at a junior/primary school, and she works at least two days a week, every week, through the holidays.
She's always answering emails.
I've no idea why you've not heard from them tbh.

The other thing I'd add is that there is SO much movement in this last couple of weeks before school, and even in the couple of weeks after school starting! There will be people suddenly going private, homeschooling, moving up the waiting list unexpectedly in a preferred school.... Even if you miss day 1 getting the admin shizz sorted it's not going to be the end of their school career/sabotage their settling in.

Most school support staff, including Admin work either a 39 or 40 week contract therefore not available during holidays. Needless to say Im sure someone will be in next week. There should be new entrants info on their website.

don’t envy you having to move house after term starts

Honestly when this happen to us - so many summer delays went from a week delay between selling our and buying next so we decoupled so as not lose sale and family took us in stuff in storage but went to 9 weeks to get house then another week being messed around by removal/storage firm - they were week and half into new school year when they started but settled immediately by end of first week was a forgotten they were late by all three kids.

Council have given you a place so yes dc will be on roll. Breakfast./after school club is more tricky. Does the school have them? Is it a staggered start for reception? You will need to be ready to be flexible. May be worth looking into local child minders.

I really thought that children were entitled to a full time education from when they reach compulsory school age which is the term after their 5th birthday

But most if not all start reception before their 5th birthday. I guess even if your birthday is September 1st, the term after your 5th birthday would be from January, unless it counted from the actual term start date/first INSET day which might be 3rd or 4th September for example.

I was under the impression schools not being able to insist on staggered starts was to do with funding. As in, no child is legally required to be in education for the first term of their receprtion year. But if a school is getting money from the state for educating that child, then education needs to be provided. I may have that wrong.

I really thought that children were entitled to a full time education from when they reach compulsory school age which is the term after their 5th birthday???