Clive Barnett taught for 31 years in four independent and state grammar schools, before becoming headmaster of Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury, in 1992, a post he held for 10 years. Whilst at Bishop's, Clive helped to set up and was one of the founding trustees of a development charity working to promote economic self-sufficiency through education and business enterprise in Tanzania. Clive left Bishop’s in 2002 to become one of Her (then) Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools, holding the post until 2009, after which he ran his own consultancy for five years specialising in all aspects of teacher training and professional development, and the inspection of a wide range of schools.

Clive was invited to become a patron of EdUKaid and then a trustee in 2006. Clive was a lay canon of Salisbury Cathedral from 2007 to 2017 and is now a Canon Emeritus. He was also governor of an independent grammar school in Guildford from 2009 to 2021 and a governor of Salisbury Cathedral School from 2012 to 2017. Clive stood down as a trustee of EdUKaid in 2025 but remains an active supporter of the charity which is very close to his heart.

I was an EdUKaid trustee because I passionately believe that education, especially in the early years, enhances the life chances of each generation and contributes more than anything else to the economic, cultural and mental health of a nation. To have the opportunity to contribute in this way to EdUKaid's work in our little corner of Africa is a considerable privilege.