Edtech Firm Takes 10-Year Lease at 34 Boar Lane

Arbor Education, one of the UK’s biggest school software firms, signs for nearly 10,000 sq ft at the landmark Leeds building opposite the railway station

A fast-growing education technology company has committed to a major Leeds office, in a further sign of demand for quality space in the city centre. Arbor Education, which makes management software used widely by UK schools, has taken 9,764 sq ft on the third floor of 34 Boar Lane on a 10-year lease. The landmark building, directly opposite Leeds Railway Station, has been transformed into modern workspace by its owner Kinrise. For a growing tech firm to sign a decade-long commitment underlines both its own ambitions and the pull of well-located, high-quality Leeds offices.

Why This Matters For Leeds

Office lettings are a real gauge of city-centre confidence and a growing technology firm signing a 10-year lease is a strong signal; it keeps a substantial employer and its jobs in the heart of Leeds, adds to the cluster of tech and professional businesses choosing the city, and supports the case for investing in and refurbishing prime buildings. For Leeds, every quality occupier that commits long-term strengthens the city centre and reinforces its growing reputation as a base for technology companies.

What the 34 Boar Lane Deal Involves

Arbor Education, described as the UK’s most popular provider of school management information systems, is taking a full floor of just under 10,000 sq ft on a 10-year lease, a significant, long-term commitment. 34 Boar Lane itself is a 57,000 sq ft landmark with 46,000 sq ft of offices over five floors, plus cafes and restaurants at ground level, in the heart of the city’s professional and retail district. Its owner, property investor Kinrise, specialises in restoring historic buildings into modern workspace, and says keeping that kind of occupier and activity in the city centre helps preserve its heritage and character rather than pushing life to the edges. With the Arbor letting, only limited space now remains at the building, with around 4,900 sq ft on the second floor and 5,500 sq ft on the first still available.

“Moving into 34 Boar Lane is a real investment in our people. As Arbor continues to grow, we wanted a home in Leeds that matches our ambition and gives our team a workplace they can be proud of.”

— Lewis Tasker, Chief People Officer, Arbor Education

A Vote of Confidence in the City Centre

The deal adds to a run of firms committing to prime Leeds offices, from the Bank of England’s new permanent base to major lettings at Wellington Place, and reflects the strong demand for high-quality space that has pushed city-centre rents to record levels. Agents at Knight Frank, which is marketing the building, said the occupier fitted the character they had been carefully selecting for, and pointed to Leeds increasingly establishing itself as a centre of educational strength; home to a new maths school and to Leeds Trinity University’s new city-centre campus nearby on Boar Lane. An education-software company choosing the city sits neatly alongside that. For Kinrise, landing a growing tech tenant on a long lease is validation of its bet on restoring landmark buildings, and another marker of a city centre attracting the occupiers it wants.