Stopping childcare when on Maternity for no 2

[Debbiethemum]

My son goes to an excellent Nursery near where I work and has been going there since he was 6 months. He will be 2 3/4 years when I start Maternity Leave with for our second child.
My questions are based on how to keep him happy and me sane and not go bankrupt.
When I go back to work again both children will be with a childminder, local to where we live (we plan to leave London and move to Hertford).
Changing to a childminder is due not being able to afford Nursery Fees for two (currently costs £750 a month for one! ) and my son will start school - well reception - towards the end of my Maternity leave and I think a childminder who can pick him up from school till I get home while looking after number two all day is probably the best combination.
So the poor child have to cope with sibling rivalry, staying at home all day with Mummy (will he get bored & miss all his friends), starting school and then going back to full time childcare.
Do you think it would be easier on him if I started looking for a childminder as soon as we move to Hertford and then once found spend a month with him at the childminders 2 day a week and Nursery for the other 2 days. Then keep him at the childminders for 2 day a week while I am on Maternity, and then when I return to work he goes to the childminder for all 4 days except when he is at school and the baby stays all day at the childminders all 4 days.
I don't know yet what we can afford when I am on Maternity as that depends how the shares do on my company's sharesave scheme. I also don't know if we can afford for me to stay on a 4-day week , but that's another thread/story
It would be completely impractical for him to stay at the Nursery while I am on Maternity because of the distance not to mention the cost.

Sorry this thread is so long but I couldn't see how to explain in less words.
Thanks

[SofiaAmes]

I kept my ds (almost 2 when dd was born) full time with the childminder all through my maternity leave. My reasoning was two-fold. I thought it would be good for him to have his normal routine and also I thought I would need the break. I think it worked really well for both him, me and my dd.

[sb34]

Message withdrawn

[aloha]

Won't you get nursery vouchers for him when he is three?

[Freddiecat]

Debbie - nothing useful to add I'm afraid but I think we'll face the same problem. DS is 18 months and would love to have another one but can't afford 2 sets of nursery fees (£600 a month for 1 in South Wales).

My hope is to have No2 when DS is about 3 (in the April), take him to current nursery 1 day a week on maternity (so it doesn't disrupt him too much) then in the September start him at school nursery full time. Then I'll go back to work and no idea whether to send No2 to same nursery as DS and how we'll deal with shorter school day or school holidays.....

How much is a childminder who looks after 1 baby in your home and picks the other up from school and has both for some of the holidays?