A special needs college will not be making way for adult education services at its New Malden site, it has been confirmed.

Kingston Council has found an alternative site for some of its adult education services, in the form of former care home Newant House, in Surbiton.

Orchard Hill only opened its new centre in Beaconsfield Road in the summer, saving disabled Kingston students a long journey to the college’s main centre in Carshalton.

But parents were told the school may have to relocate after less than a year as Kingston Council struggled to place its adult education services following the announcement of the North Kingston Centre building turning into a new secondary school next year.

The council has now confirmed a former Surbiton council-run care home that was closed to make way for a new adult services scheme will be put back into use for adult education - for one year only.

Last year residents in Newent House were told to leave as the care home was shut down in favour of the council’s new project Kingston at Home, which aimed to help more elderly people live in their own homes.

By the end of April last year the 38-bedroom care home in Browns Road was empty with its former elderly residents encouraged to move into private housing or helped to be relocated.

Councillor David Ryder Mills , lead member for schools and continuing education, said: “It is my hope that Orchard Hill are able to stay. We can’t say they are definitely staying because they are still in discussions over the rent.

“Adult education is moving – what we can fit will go in the King Charles Centre and the overflow will go to Newent House.

“The state of the building is fine but we have got other ideas for the Newent House site – at least three different ideas, therefore we are saying one year as a temporary for adult education. We are really doing the best that we can.”

Newent House was previously being considered as a potential site for a nursing home with dementia services.