Ministers' plans to guarantee pupils and parents certain rights from the education system have been condemned by school leaders, who warn it could become a "whingers' charter" for litigious parents.
The new education bill, due to be unveiled in the Queen's Speech today, is set to promise extra tuition for pupils who fall behind and greater support for gifted and talented learners.
Parents will also have the right to demand closer involvement with their child's progress through a designated tutor and regular face-to-face meetings.
But the Association of School and College Leaders said the proposals were overly "prescriptive" and could open the door to litigation.
ASCL general secretary John Dunford said: "It is easy for the government to 'guarantee' specific rights for pupils and parents when ministers aren't the ones who have to deliver. It is school leaders and staff whose jobs will be on the line if they don't meet the 'guarantees'.
"If government is going to make a guarantee on behalf of schools, it must provide the means for schools to deliver on all these items. Raising so many aspects of education to the status of a 'guarantee' will have the effect of making everything quasi-statutory. It will take statute into realms it has never previously covered."
He added: "School leaders are extremely concerned that these 'guarantees' will turn into a whingers' charter for the more litigious parents to complain, first to the head, then to the governors, then to the Local Government Ombudsman service, which has just been created by last week's new education act."
But a spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families denied claims that the legislation would lead to a flood of court cases against schools.
"It is about setting out in law what pupils and parents should expect from their schools and making sure that happens wherever they are in the country."
"There will be a clear process so teachers, heads, governing bodies and local authorities can deal with any complaint - as they already do with the vast majority of issues.
"If they do not, we've now given the Local Government Ombudsman power to hear parents' complaints and recommend that schools take remedial action. If they still will not, the Secretary of State will be able to intervene and direct schools to act."
Pupils will be guaranteed education or training at 16 and 17 under the plans and will also be offered specialist help for health and social problems at secondary school.
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