Denise Yates

Denise Yates has worked in education and training for over thirty eight years to enable all individuals to maximise their potential. Over the years, this has included working with ex-offenders, children with moderate learning difficulties, children who are Gifted and Talented, adults with numeracy and literacy problems and in inner-city areas working with young people at risk of offending.

For ten years, Denise was Chief Executive of the national charity, Potential Plus UK (formerly The National Association for Gifted Children). In 2017, Denise left to pursue her passion which could be summarised as ‘hidden potential’; children and young people with Dual and Multiple Exceptionalities, those with mental health problems and those who have been failed by the system, for whatever reason.

A Cambridge economist, Denise is currently, amongst other things, a Trustee of The Potential Trust, a charitable trust which suports more able children from low-income backgrounds, a non-executive Director of Nisai Education Trust which is interested in exploring different models of education and a member of the Above and Beyond group which looks to work in partnership with organisations in the UK, in whatever sector, for the benefit of children and young people with gifts and talents (including those with DME).

Denise is a Fellow of the RSA, a consultant on issues related to inclusion and also a trained Adviser with Citizens Advice and spends time practically helping individuals and families in her community. In 2020, with Adam Boddison, she wrote The School Handbook for Dual and Multiple Exceptionality and in 2020 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to children and young people. Parenting Dual Exceptional Children was published in early 2022.