For 2006 STE is in the process of making its product range accessible on-line, enabling UK customers to select products, prepare budgets using the basket, and to purchase on-line. This is a major undertaking as we have some 5000 product lines, including spares and accessories. We hope you will find this much more convenient.

We are able to supply many other items, so if you do not see want you want, please contact us by e-mail or telephone. We are here to help you.

STE hosted a stand at the January 2006 ASE Conference at Reading. There was a good attendance, with considerable interest in the NTL modular kits and NTL Compact Series electrical modules, as well as the laser raybox and associated optics kit. We presented a workshop on practical modular physics for one of our distributors, Scientific and Chemical Supplies.

We are soon going to turn our attention to the requirements of the new curricula. one aim is to enable Search of STE products by Key Stage and topic area - expected mid 2006. Another is to extend our product range to meet a wider range of National Curriculum applications. Let us know your needs and we will try to meet them!

Our partner site microscopesdirect.co.uk which is part of STE UK Ltd now carries all the STE ranges of microscopes, video and accessories and prepared slides. The site is separate so that, as well as carrying educational products, this site will be developed during 2006 to carry industrial and other related products.

The recent University of Buckingham report, see www.buckingham.ac.uk/news/pressrelesases/2005/ceer-physics.html, has highlighted to the government what STE has long been aware of - the decline in the number of specialist physics teachers. We believe that we can make a unique contribution by supporting teachers and technicians with a comprehensive service - ensuring that we supply the best products for your needs and providing advice on best practice in experimental investigations.

Our training courses and workshops are being developed further in 2006 to help meet this need. The STE Teaching Forum and STE Advisory Centre on this site have the same objective. Of course we also hope that additional funding will be allocated to make available the best of modern technology in the classroom and indirectly support our efforts.

In January 2006 there will be special offers of Ohaus balances in our On-Line Shop (see under Labware).

In the microscopy shop there will also be a special offer microscopes section - including many top quality microscopes.

STE will no longer be supplying laboratory glassware and it is likely that we will be offering residual glassware stocks at highly competitive rates - still to be organised - but watch our Shop for this and other tempting offers!

Free multimeter offer - the first 100 people to post on the STE Teaching Forum will receive a free analogue multimeter. To be eligible to register you must be a bona fide science teacher, technician or science education student. Not more than 2 free multimeters per school.