Glen Urquhart School

Welcome to Glen Urquhart School, an independent school for grades kindergarten through eight located in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. Glen Urquhart evolved from the commitment of a group of parents, led by Lynne Warren, to create a school where children would be stimulated to learn for its own sake because the process would totally engage them physically, intellectually and emotionally. First founded in 1977 as North Shore Middle School for a handful of students and teachers who met in the basement of a local church, the school took residence on the former 23-acre Orchidvale Estate in Beverly Farms in 1981. Here, where wealthy industrialist Albert Burrage had years before raised thousands of varieties of orchids in 28 greenhouses, the buildings and grounds were transformed into a place of learning. In concert with the founding vision for the school, the boundaries between inside and out were virtually erased by the large windows with views out onto grand expanses of land. How appropriate that our school should be on land once home to one of the largest, most famous and diverse orchid collections in the country since orchids, like children, grow best with support and patience, natural sunlight and fresh air, and with deep roots planted in rich soil. Today, Glen Urquhart, affectionately known as GUS, has 235 students from 25 towns and cities on the North Shore of Boston. Our teaching continues to be informed by a commitment to Knowledge, Creativity and Character.