Hi @The4ks! Welcome to the thread.
It's such a worrying time to be doing anything new. If the school is good that's a fantastic start though - hopefully if you speak to them they might have some ideas - maybe he could visit on one of their inset days at the start of autumn term if they can't arrange something now, so he gets a bit of quiet time to get used to the environment before it's filled with children? Although goodness knows if we'll be in any better situation Covid-wise come September. Hopefully if they can get this track-and-trace sorted and keep working on testing and treatments we might be.
Hopefully they can take some pictures for him at least? E.g. here is a picture of your teacher, the gate, where you will eat lunch, the playground, the classroom, the toilets, etc. and they or you could do a little book or pack of pictures/cards for him to look at now and again? I've actually done a little sheet for DD of how things are going to be when she goes back next week, because she's going to be in a different classroom and going in through a different entrance, etc. so I think it just helps her to be prepared for that.
Honestly DD found the transition to Reception a bit tough even though she knew the building and people pretty well (her nursery used to go and use the playground once a week, and her nursery teacher randomly moved to Reception with her). She was fine once she was in each day, but a lot of tears at the gate for most of the first term (sorry! But she really was fine once she was in and always came home happy - it was just the transition that was hard). We did find things that worked for us in the end though (a little routine of hugs and waves and drawing a "hug button" on each others' hands).
They always surprise you don't they, either by finding something tough you thought would be OK, or sailing through something you thought would be tricky?!
Change is just hard, however well prepared you are for it. I think being patient and taking it gently once he actually starts is the most important thing. Preparation too soon might just make him anxious about it ahead of time, or might all be forgotten by the time he gets there!
With DD I never know how to get the balance right, because if we don't prepare her at all obviously that's not good and unfair on her - but sometimes (because of my own anxiety!) I think I over-prepare her and maybe make an issue out of things that would have been fine. It's so hard to judge!
Sorry, that wasn't very helpful was it? But anyway, we're here to listen and share worries and rants, as needed!
Yes @openupmyeagereyes I think a lot of my anxiety is both normal and irrational! We're probably a bit older than most parents here (40s) but in good health and no particular reason to worry for ourselves. Obviously we worry a lot about parents and older relatives or those with serious health conditions (and that probably is rational) but what can we do? They are all being fairly sensible.
I think actually a lot of what I find hard is the social stuff. Like when people invite you to do stuff that's on the edge of the rules/guidance, it feels like you're being really judgy if you say "no" (because there's this implied thing that they're in the wrong to even ask you), you know the risk is probably minimal/zero, but if you say "yes" you also know you won't enjoy it anyway and will obsess about it after. Gargh!! Hopefully I'll get over it once we're actually past next week, the new rules are in, kids are back in school/nursery for better or worse, and we can just gradually adjust to this new phase for however long it lasts.