A top minister has pledged to close a policy loophole that has seen pupils being forced to miss an entire year of school.

In February, our sister paper the Birmingham Mail exclusively revealed the story of four-year-old Olivia Dutton from Staffordshire - one of an estimated 250,000 so-called "summer-born" children across the country whose parents wanted to use their legal right to delay their start to school.

Children usually start school in the September after they turn four but those born in the summer - between April 1 and August 31 - can choose to wait to start school until they are five.

However, a loophole in the Department for Education's admissions policy saw some local authorities forcing those who delayed their school start to begin in Year 1 - skipping the entire reception year and first 12 months of schooling.

In some cases, local authorities granted those who delayed their start to school a place in reception but then later forced them to skip a year to put them in the same age group as fellow pupils.

Now, schools minister Nick Gibb has announced the Government will amend its admissions policy to bring an end to the saga that has left many families up-in-arms.

It is expected to take some time before the policy change comes into effect but in the meantime Mr Gibb has written an open letter to schools and local authorities urging them to take "immediate action".

He added: "We want all children to have an equal chance to excel in school regardless of when they are born.

"Parents know their children best and we want to make sure summer-born children can start reception at the age of five if their parents think it is in their best interests.

"We also want to ensure that those children are able to remain with that cohort as they progress through school, including through to secondary school.

"We are going to make changes to admission rules but we want councils and academies to take immediate action."

The news was met with joy by Olivia's mum Rosie, a member of campaign group Flexible School Admissions for Summer Born Children.

She said: "This is amazing news and a massive relief. I call Olivia the "super summer born' - she's coped with a lot through all of this. Her first day at primary school has coincided with this news and what a happy coincidence it is.

"I watched her going into school today practically fist-thumping with excitement which I know for certain would not have been her reaction this time last year when she should have started reception.

"The smile on her face has made this whole journey worth it."

She thanked the Summer Born Campaign group and the Birmingham Mail for helping to raise the issue.

She added: "Pauline Hull and Michelle Melson from the campaign group have worked tirelessly, devoting virtually every minute of the day to helping families like mine and I can not thank them enough.

"The Mail was the first media to tell our story and properly raise the issue, flinging it into the national spotlight and we are so grateful for the end result.

"It's been an emotional roller coaster but I am so happy for Olivia and all the summer-borns out there who now have the right to start school when it is the right time for them."