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Glen Urquhart School is a progressive day school for students in pre-K through grade 8, located 30 miles north of Boston, in Beverly Farms, MA.
From pre-K through elementary and middle school, Glen Urquhart School inspires students to grow as curious, confident, and capable learners—ready to engage thoughtfully with the world around them. Our program encourages taking risks, values collaboration, fosters leadership, honors every child’s experience, and emphasizes the power and responsibility each student has in the world.
We believe in the power of curiosity, being yourself, asking questions to find solutions, and working together for the greater good.
We believe in learning from mistakes, building each other up from the inside out, exploring beyond classroom walls, and thinking outside the box. We believe that changing the world with ideas starts in pre-k.
What GUS Can Be
A fundraising campaign for the next generation.
Glen Urquhart School has evolved to meet children where they are and anticipate what they will need next. Now, we’re building on that legacy – investing in the people, place, and program that make GUS magical.
Our story started nearly fifty years ago.
Our next fifty years start here. And with you.
Latest News:
News
Welcome to a new school year! Things look a little different around campus, and we are excited about the improvements taking place. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work through construction this year.
To ensure a safe and efficient arrival and dismissal process, the main entrance at 74 Hart St. will be closed. All families should enter campus through the rear entrance at 206 Greenwood Ave.
As another school year comes to a close, I find myself holding onto so many moments from these final weeks — the laughter and energy of Field Day, the creativity on display at Performing Arts Night, the joy of School of Rock, the courage of our eighth graders at Evening with the Graduates, and the bittersweet loveliness of Graduation. These are the moments that remind me, again and again, what makes Glen Urquhart School such a special place.
This year’s alumni speakers were Riley Clarke ’18, who recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Athalia Esty ’18, who recently graduated from Bowdoin College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government + Legal Studies.
On Wednesday, June 10, Glen Urquhart School (GUS) celebrated the 28 members of the Class of 2026 during its 43rd Graduation Exercises on the school’s campus in Beverly Farms, MA.
Over the past five years, Glen Urquhart School has engaged in sustained, intentional work to deepen our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. What began as a set of goals has evolved into a more integrated, school-wide effort — one that touches who we are as a community, how we teach and learn, and how we make decisions.
We are pleased to announce that the 2026 Tadler Grant has been awarded to Fourth Grade Teacher Laura Doyle, P ’27 ’29, who celebrates 10 years of service to GUS this year.
Join us in celebrating the faculty and staff members who have dedicated years of service to GUS, as well as those who will be departing the community this year. We are especially grateful to Science Teacher Emilie Cushing, who celebrates 25 years at GUS, and Social Studies Teacher Christine Draper, who retires after 27 years of inspiring and educating generations of students.
As we enter the final weeks of the school year, I find myself reflecting on what an extraordinary month it has been at GUS.
The momentum behind this campaign is made possible by a community that believes deeply in what GUS can be. We invite you to learn more about the campaign, explore the vision, and consider how you might help shape the next chapter of Glen Urquhart School.
In this Mindful Moment, GUS second graders share a mindful poem: The Peaceful Moment.
This gift from the MassMutual Foundation is a meaningful investment in our students, faculty, and the future of our school, and we are deeply grateful for Greg’s commitment to GUS.
In this Mindful Moment, GUS second graders guide listeners through a guided meditation.
In this episode of Curious by Nature, Head of School Gretchen Forsyth sits down with longtime GUS community member, alumni parent, and renowned musician David Coffin P’11.
We are moving forward with plans to build a new, centrally located space on campus — a place that will serve as a welcoming front door to the school, house key community spaces, and support the continued growth of our program with two multidisciplinary classrooms.
In this episode of Curious by Nature, Director of Admission Emily Glore sits down with GUS parent and Parent Association President Courtney Berg for a candid, thoughtful conversation about finding the right school — and the power of community once you do.
At Glen Urquhart School, we often talk about preparing students for a future we cannot yet fully see. That work asks us to hold two things at once: a deep commitment to who we are, and a willingness to grow into what our students will need next. Our Long Range Plan, GUS 2033, launched in the spring of 2024, is a roadmap designed to ensure we do just that. Now, two years into that plan, you may begin to notice signs of this work taking shape.
Upcoming Events:
Events
What does the secondary school process actually look like, and how does GUS support families through it? Join us for a virtual conversation designed to help answer those questions and give current GUS families a clearer picture of what to expect.
Hear more about our progressive approach to education and what rigor looks like at GUS, from Head of School Gretchen Forsyth and Assistant Head of School Brad Belin.
The event is a FREE, professional-style race event with race bibs and awards, just for the kids!
Curious about regional public high school options, the transition timeline, or how "school choice" works in our area? Join Assistant Head of School // Director of Upper School Brad Belin for a helpful, virtual panel designed to give current GUS families clarity + confidence.
Step inside our classrooms, see learning in action, meet members of the GUS team, and hear directly from current students about what makes this school a powerful place to learn. Come discover what school can be!
Coffee social, classroom visits, and a special gathering, featuring student performances.
An assembly explores the rich variety of grains that serve as the “staff of life” around the world, focusing on bread as a symbol of world unity and ethnic diversity.
Through ASINE (Association of Independent Schools in New England), all members of the GUS community now have access to a series of six one-hour webinars for independent school parents and guardians. Each session is designed to offer practical insights, encouragement, and meaningful guidance—supporting families while nurturing their child’s growth and wellbeing. Details of each webinar and instructions for registration are below.
We invite our Kindergarten applicants to join us for a morning of play at GUS! Students will play alongside other applicants and have the chance to meet Kindergarten teachers.
Each year, we celebrate the shortest day of the year with musical performances by the GUS Band, Chorus, and all students pre-K–grade 8.
There’s no better way to ring in the new year than with the celebrated annual tradition of Bingo Night!
Testimonials
“My child is known, accepted, understood, guided, and nurtured each day. I am continuously impressed by the richness of the curriculum and the depth of meaning embedded in each lesson. My child is being challenged and supported. He is learning and having so much fun each day. We couldn’t hope for more.”
— GUS Parent
“As they look back on their elementary, secondary, and college years, my three children value above all the time at Glen Urquhart when they were encouraged to discover their individual voices, explore the world around them, and apply themselves with diligence.”
— PARENT TO THREE GUS ALUMNI
“They all get the skills, they get the rigor that we expect of them, but the way that they go at it is different. There’s a lot of freedom here to get students moving in the right direction but taking different paths.’’
–GUS Upper School Educator
"It's rare to find a school like GUS that takes such full advantage of the natural and cultural resources in Beverly, Cape Ann, and the wider world of New England. This conscious attention to connecting students with their places helps them become active citizens and preservers of their natural and cultural heritage."
– DAVID SOBEL, place-based education expert
"From the day that I stepped into GUS, I knew that this school was one-of-a-kind. I knew that this was going to be different. I have never known better friends in one place.”
— GUS student
