HESSA was established in 2023 and is an incorporated society with charitable status. Our purpose is to support home educated children across the country to participate and compete in student sport in New Zealand. HESSA is the national body representing the right of almost 11,000 home educated domestic students to compete in student sport in New Zealand.

Home educated students are domestic students regulated by section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and overseen by the Ministry of Education.

As at 1 July 2024 Education Counts statistics show there were 10,757 home educated domestic students registered in Aotearoa New Zealand. 3956 are secondary-aged students and face significant barriers accessing student sports including exclusion from competing in secondary-aged student sport with their peers because of their educational background.

HESSA believes every Kiwi student has the right to compete in student sports

HESSA want to see system change in secondary-aged student sports that enables all domestic students to compete in student sports.

HESSA is actively raising awareness of the barriers that exist for home educated domestic students with regional and national sporting organisations, to ensure our mutual goals of inclusive student sport in Aotearoa New Zealand.