Primary schools are spending up to £90,000 a year on commission for supply teachers, according to one company which claims to offer an alternative.

The Resolute Education Cooperative (RECOOP) says stand-in teachers and the schools they work at in Ealing and Hounslow are both losing out because of the high rates charged by agencies providing them.

It has urged them to sign up to its new service, which charges schools 5.5 per cent commission on top of a membership fee.

RECOOP director Elizabeth Matthews said: "Supply teachers are getting fed up with the commercial agencies paying them less and less in order to take larger commissions of between 30 per cent and 40 per cent each day.

"We also found that each primary school in Ealing or Hounslow is having to shell out anything between £20,000 and £90,000 in commission. This is money that should be staying in the school for the children's education."

She added that the firm only allows qualified teachers on its books, unlike some commercial agencies.

As well as charging members less in commission, the company has promised them the chance to vote at the end of the year for profits to be returned to teachers and schools.