Teachers appear to have their hands tied now and kids know that, with some taking advantage. It can be impossible to reason with some young people and even if there were a general consensus for a return to corporal punishment, it's hard to imagine that being a workable option in this age.
Perhaps a secondary education should become a privilage rather than a compulsion. If a child repeatedly demonstrates they don't want to be there and the parents can't adjust that attitude, then let the kid go into the workplace early and see what the real world is like. The new source of cheap labour could give a real boost to UK manufacturing and the economy in general.