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Following the call for nominations for the role of GA President 2027–28, an election took place. Please note voting close on Friday 27 February 2026.
Nominations have been received for Rachel Hawke, Helen Martin, and Sophie Wilson.
The GA President holds a number of key responsibilities, including setting the theme of the GA Annual Conference, chairing the Conference Planning Board and delivering the Presidential Lecture at Conference.
The President serves as Vice President (2026–7) in their first year and as an ex-officio member of Education Group. In the second year, they serve as President (2027–8) and for one further year as Immediate Past President (2028–9). Throughout this time they are a member of the GA’s Board of Trustees. During the period of office, they work with the Chair of Trustees and Chief Executive to help steer the work of the Board of Trustees and the Association.
By taking part in this election you are ensuring that your voice is heard within the GA and you will be helping us to continue to respond to and meet the needs of the GA’s membership.
Read the candidate statements
Rachel Hawke is a dedicated and hard-working Head of Geography and has been a member of the GA for 14 years. During this time, she has presented at the GA Conference three times on topics such as fieldwork and improving CPD based on her NPQ experience. Rachel has also written articles for the Teaching Geography journal, having most recently been published in the Autumn 2025 edition.
Rachel is an experienced examiner for Eduqas as well as a regular sharer of resources with fellow teachers. Alongside this she is a Chartered Geographer and FRGS, which demonstrates her continuing commitment to her subject and to CPD.
Alongside her classroom role she is also Lead Subject Mentor for Geography at South West Teacher Training, a role she has held since 2022. To aid her in this she is also a corresponding member of the TEPC, demonstrating her dedication to advancing geographical education.
The new Exeter GA Branch was set up in 2025 and Rachel is co-chair of the branch, which further showcases her support for the GA and desire to extend its reach, and her enthusiasm for the subject.
Rachel’s passion for geography and her commitment to both her classroom students and student teachers exemplifies why she would make an excellent President of the GA for 2027–2028.
My 30-year involvement with the Geographical Association (GA) as a primary teacher, geography subject leader, headteacher, governor and Chair of the GA’s Early Years and Primary Phase Committee, has developed my belief in the power of geographical curiosity and practice to inspire and influence who we are and who we become.
My values as a geographer guided me throughout 18 years of headship, where I built deep connections in and with the local area, developed outdoor geographical learning and strengthened community identity. My geography graduate knowledge enabled me to confidently lead our curriculum reform with the subject at the heart of my ethos.
A lively, relevant geography is a vital part of our skills as citizen geographers, from Early Years to secondary and beyond, and offers so much more than a subject for today’s young people: holistic understanding; emotional wellbeing; identity, reciprocity, guidance and informed agency for change.
As President, I would champion the inclusive experiences geography offers, and how it challenges us to question knowledge, diversity, spirituality and to think more carefully about how we live with, and care for, human and more-than-human worlds.
It’s a privilege to apply for the role of GA President at such a crucial moment for our curriculum and our planet.
A passionate and experienced geography teacher, Sophie is an ITE educator who works closely with trainee teachers and mentors, regularly visiting a diverse range of primary and secondary schools.
As Associate Professor, PGCE Geography Course Lead and Lead Link Tutor, she draws on her own classroom practice as a teacher and geography subject lead (17 years), to provide first‑hand insight into current classroom realities and challenges. An active GA member since 1998, she is a Chartered Geographer, RGS Fellow and Consultant to the GA who values collaboration and sharing best practice ideas.
Sophie founded the GA Twickenham Branch, contributes regularly to the GA Conference, serves as a GA Trustee, and has chaired the GA’s ICT SIG. She received the GA Outstanding Service Diploma (2019) and has organised the Geography Teacher Educators’ Conferences. Sophie also developed the GA’s Sequencing GIS CPD and the GIS‑T Curriculum Hub of climate change resources to support classroom practice. In addition, she is a co‑opted member of the RGS Education Committee.
Sophie’s vision for the GA is for an inclusive, forward‑looking community where teachers in every setting feel supported and inspired. Drawing on examiner experience with AQA, OCR and in ITE, she is committed to ensuring geography lessons are meaningful and relevant for all learners.
As GA President, she would champion GIS as a tool for enquiry to deepen students’ sense of place, alongside high‑quality fieldwork and working to extend the GA’s national and international reach. A key priority would be sustainability‑led curriculum design that strengthens progression across all phases and empowers young people to learn more about our interconnected world through geography.
Voting process
All full personal, life, joint, concessionary and group members are eligible to vote.
Please note voting will close on Friday 27 February 2026.
The result of this election will be communicated to GA members at the 2026 Annual Conference in April, in the summer 2026 issue of GA Magazine and via the GA website.
