Taura, the cut off for the school year in Scotland used to be the end of Feb but there was an option to defer for a year - hopefully another Scot will be able to confirm or otherwise as I've lived in England for the last 13 years (sob).
R what to buy for the baby. Ignore the marketing things from the shops - you really don't need as much as they tell you to buy.
Moses basket - could have been a waste of money. Our room was too small to fit the cotbed into and dd was 8'7 at birth so looked like she'd outgrow it very fast, fortunately she turned out to be a dinky baby and fitted into the Moses basket until 5 months when we put her in her own room. I wish we'd got a crib so could have kept her in our room longer.
Don't buy lots of swaddle blankets / gro bags in first size - cotton cellular blankets are fine. Ditto to sheets for Moses basket - pop a folded muslin under the baby's head to catch posset so you don't need to change the sheet every time the baby is sick. Do buy lots of muslins, they make fab sunshields, sheets /blankets in summer as well as for mopping up. Other thing I found great was washable cloths for nappy changes, much better at cleaning than wipes.
No rush to buy a breast pump - you usually need to wait until bf is established first. If you need one sooner eg prem baby the hospital will let you hire one. The medela swing is great but pricy so wouldn't invest before the baby is born.
Sterilisers are regularly half price in Boots and Amazon. Some of the bundle deals (starter packs) aren't as good as they may seem initially. Babies can be fussy about what teats / bottles they like so don't invest in too many of the same type initially.
If you plan to use reusable nappies avoid birth to potty packs. They can be a huge investment but different nappies suit different children so wait until they are here or get some second hand so you can work out what suits your baby. They are often not great for bf baby poo containment anyway so a couple of packs of disposables for the first week or so is a good idea.
In my opinn an Isofix base for car seat is a must have if you have a bad back as otherwise bending around the seat to fit the seatbelt is difficult.
Birth ball - great for getting baby into the optimum position pre birth and also after. Our daughter liked being bounced on it when being cuddled as a newborn. On sale from the nct shop at the moment.
We didn't buy any toys before the baby was born and got given quite a few as presents. Our best buy was a fisher price rocking chair that vibrated and later a jumperoo. Babies tend to like bright colours so although the neutral ones look more tasteful they seem to be less popular. Ditto to toys - much as most of us dislike bright plastic is def appeals to children.......