Yes, it’s clearly not working in some regards. Your basic suggestion, however, is also unrealistic - a school in isolation can not make up for all the problems

Yes, it’s clearly not working in some regards. Your basic suggestion, however, is also unrealistic - a school in isolation can not make up for all the problems of an area. Similarly, a brilliant teacher can only do so much. If they can move to a better area and bank their bonus for much less stress, they will do just that, leaving a failing area, and its children, with even worse provision. Frankly, there’s no straightforward solution. Better pay is probably part of it, but it’s a far more complex issue and one that has to be considered as part of a wider programme of improvement.