Parents are threatening teachers with legal action if their children fail to get the right grades this summer, a union leader has warned.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), told MPs that his members had already received threats from parents that they have "a lawyer lined up" if pupils miss out on the top grades.
Schools are braced for a wave of appeals from this summer's exam results, which will be based on teacher-assessed grades.
Formal exams were ditched for the second year in a row in recognition of the ongoing disruption to schooling caused by the pandemic.
It comes after the Government was forced into a humiliating u-turn last year when thousands of pupils saw their marks downgraded by a computer algorithm.
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Mr Barton told the Commons Education Committee that schools were already concerned about the pressure from parents over this summer's exam results.
He said: "I think we will see a huge number of appeals beyond the priority appeals.
"We are already seeing some examples of some parents exerting some pressure on some people, saying, 'My daughter needs certain grades to get to university and if they don't get them, I've got a lawyer lined up'.
"That's not a caricature, we have given legal advice to our members."
Pupils must request a review by their college or school first if they want to appeal their grade, before it can be escalated to the exam board.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), warned about "huge workload implications" for staff over the summer.
He told MPs: "I was talking to a secondary head only last week, who only last week had received an email from one of the exam boards asking would the headteacher be available for every day of the summer holiday so they can talk to them about the appeals process.
"And if they aren't going to be available for every day, can they give them the telephone number of another member of senior staff who will be available for every day of the summer holidays."
Mr Courtney also expressed concerns about teachers being criticised if the proportion of top grades awarded this summer increases again.
He said: "Our worry is that politicians might then criticise teachers for an increase in grades, which would be completely inappropriate if that happens."
Pupils sitting GCSE and A-levels in England next year could be given advance notice on what subjects will be covered in their exam papers under new plans.
Proposals for the 2022 summer exams include giving schools and colleges choice over the topics that students are assessed on.
Final details are not expected until the autumn term.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is "right that next summer's arrangements take into account the disruption young people have faced over the past 18 months".
But unions slammed the Government for announcing the consultation only days before the end of term.
Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "In reality, all of this should have been put to bed weeks, if not months, ago.
"We are only days away from the end of term.
"School leaders wanted decisions for adaptations and contingencies made before the summer break, with details before the start of term in September, not least because August will be a busy month supporting students with their results and working on reviews and appeals."
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: "With grim predictability, the Government is launching a short consultation in the dead of summer on an absolutely vital issue, this time on exams for next summer.
"As we warned last week, this is already far too late.
"September 1 is the latest date by which we should be receiving all the necessary information about qualifications in 2022."
