Twins Bethany and Kieran, both 11, and nine-year-old Alex have never missed a day at school since coming into reception at St Anne's Primary in Pennywell.
It's an outstanding record, underpinned by mum Marie Dodds.
The 48-year-old clerical assistant at Pennywell Medical Centre, said: "I believe education is paramount at their age.
"No-one can control what happens in the future, but I want them to continue this record when they move schools."
Marie, who lives in Peasemore Road, Pennywell, added: "I'm over the moon with the award. I know it shouldn't, but it gives them that incentive which means they are less likely to play up and it's a reward."
The children, who have two older sisters Angela, 26, and Christina, 28, both in the Royal Logistics Army Corps, clearly enjoy school.
Kieran, the oldest by a minute, said: "The best bits about school are when we get sports teachers in. We're learning about rugby at the moment.
"I also like literacy and being a film critic."
Alex said: "My favourite subjects are history and numeracy, but I like all of them really."
Bethany said: "Most people take a day off, but if you want to get a good job, then you have to go every day. I enjoy it."
The McHughs weren't the only top families. At Castletown Primary, Alan, 10, Sheila, eight and seven-year-old Caitlin Begg, never missed a day.
Neither did Tansey, 11, now at Monkwearmouth, William, 10, and seven-year-old Charlie Thompson, at Redby Primary in Fulwell.
Mum Sarah, 43, married to Nissan worker Philip, 43, of Park Parade, said: "Before they had the odd day off, so this is the first time for them. The boys, particularly, are really chuffed."
Mr Hennessey, headteacher at Castletown Primary, said: "They've always had excellent attendance every year, but this year it was outstanding that all three of them had full attendance."
All the children will be VIPs at a celebration of school attendance at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, organized by Every Schoolday Counts. In Sunderland, 913 children achieved 100 per cent attendance last year through the scheme.
Schools Minister Jim Knight today praised the programme. He said: "The Every Schoolday Counts initiative has led the way in encouraging parents not to take their children out of the school and I congratulate those involved."
Brian Thompson, Sunderland Council's Inclusion and Achievement manager, added: "The introduction of the Every Schoolday Counts project has been a significant boost to the local authority's resources and has complemented our statutory responsibility to achieve high levels of attendance.
"One of its greatest achievements has been to enable the Local Authority to maintain the balance between traditional enforcement methods with promoting, encouraging and rewarding better attendance."


Every Schoolday Counts roll of honour – Washington

Albany Village Primary
Christopher Cassidy, Katie Robinson, Aaron Tompkins.

Barmston Village Primary
Jack Foxton, Conner Harrison, Ashley Hume, Lauren Kennedy, Shannon Marsden, Toni Marsden, Toni-Louise Shaw, Patechareeyapor Singban, Nathan Smith, Michael Thompson.

Biddick Primary
Lauren Doyle, Demi Glasgow, Matthew Harris, Connor Low, Emily Millington, Thomas Smith, Kallum Warne, Ben Williams, Jack Winter.

Blackfell Primary
Phillippa Dunlop, Emily Jardine, Ellie Neill, John Robson.

Fatfield Primary
Patrick Ashley, Lauren Bontems, Ross Colquhoun, Alanna Hollings, Alexander McGinley, Emma Sinclair, Connor Winn.

George Washington Primary
Paige Allsopp, Callum Burdis, Paula Cairns, Aiden Day, Kieran Elliott, Annarose Falloon, Ian Ferguson, Liam Ford, Nathan Handy, Gurjit Kaur, Matthew Laidler, Chloe Liddell Bates, Ben Marjoram, Carlie Marriner, Jasmine Marriner, Ryan Moorhead, Jake Reed, Lee Robinson, Ethan Shaw, Thomas Waites, Rachel Watson.

Holley Park Primary
Mark Binns, Adam Fairless, Michael Fergus, Emily Gibbon, Amelia Hill, Benjamin Loader, Jennifer Mitchell, Sophie Place, Daniel Richardson, Chloe Rowe, Lee Short, Kurt Steed, Ewan Vasey.

John F Kennedy Primary
James Baines, Adam Chenery, Garry Cooper, Emma Cowan, Jack Dodds, Jack Hindmarch, Thomas Hindmarch, Anthony Hodgson, Aaron Monaghan, Abby Morgan, Molly Richardson, Paniz Sheikhalian, Callum Soppitt, James Wilson, Robert Younger.

Lambton Primary
Owen Burlinson, Jake Holland, Ryan Leung, Jasmine Loy.

Oxclose Village Primary
Connor Nichol, Bethany Ridley, Anya Robinson.

Rickleton Primary
Haneen Al-Saffar, Gemma Anderson, Christopher Cambridge, Grace Cambridge, Matthew Cresswell, Lindsay Curry, Scott Curtis, Kyle Dinsdale, Rebecca Evans, Rossi Graham, James Hamilton, Thomas Harrison, Lynsey Holt, Annabel Johnson, Patrick McFall, Alexander Nash, Alicia Nash, Tom Nichols, Kate Rayner, Michael Richings, Stuart Roberts, Morgan Ross, Matthew Smith, Fiona Stark, Connor Sullivan, Rhiannon Sullivan, James Sykes, Benn Taylor, Ryotaro Tsuruoka, Jasmine Wales, Ryan Walker, Lucy Wilkinson, Melissa Wright.

Springwell Village Primary
Jack Brown, Katelyn Brown, Caitlyn Burns, Carina Clark, Owen Craggs, Rebecca Lewins, Ellie Marriner, Jake Phillips, Anthony Redhead, Eleisha Regan, Amor Sahota, Erin Wilkinson, Madaleine Wood,

St Bede's RC Primary
Thomas Dixon, Josh Hair, Emma Hogan, Andrew Pescod, Louis Silva-Pita, Connor Snary, Jack Thompson, Kara Wyness, Killian Wyness, Caitlyn Young,

St John Boste RC Primary
Rachael Bell, Jack Brown, Matthew Burns, Henry Carr, Sebastian Clelland, Patrick Daly, Kieron Dixon, Jacob Garside, Lily Hall, Gabriel Hebron, Gabriel Hebron, Bethany Holly, Peter Holly, Jacob Murray, Abigail Murray, George Pickering, Joe Whelan, Jonathan Whelan, John White, Alexandra Wilson.

St Joseph's RC Primary
Christopher Atkinson, Rachael Atkinson, Imogen Bosanko, Ewan Butterworth, Anna Craven, Alexandra Dowsett, Jack Johnson, Siobhan Kelleher, Sarah Kendal, Calum McClurkin, Caroline McNeill, Thomas Pearson, Sarah Purkis, Daniel Ramshaw, Joel Richardson, Alastair Scott, Thomas Scott, Abby Smail.

Usworth Colliery Primary
Natasha Barron, Courtney Blacklock, Thomas Hackett, Bethany McClelland, Emily Minchell, Ellen Renwick, Luke Shinkfield, Emma Warwick, Anna White, Natasha White, Emily Whittle, Emma Wise.

Usworth Grange Primary
Kelsey Atherton, Britney Boyd, Chelsie Boyd, Ben Coe, Preciouse Godsent, Louise King, Kyle Palmer, Lauren Palmer.

Wessington Primary
Lauren Bennett, Jordan Ellis, Aaron Forinton, Declan Hamilton, Nathan Murray, Tyler Rumney, Michelle Shakur.