Rachel Foster and Kath Goudie's search for a more rigorous and interesting way of teaching Year 7 the Norman Conquest was initially driven by a desire to incorporate local history in a more meaningful way in their Key Stage 3 schemes of work. This search culminated in a collaboration with an academic historian, Stephen Baxter. In this article they explain how this professional dialogue transformed their thinking about the crafting of an enquiry question and the value of using contemporary sources in their original form, even with young students. Through their evaluation of their practice, Foster and Goudie make the case for how such an approach can develop the rich kinds of substantive knowledge pupils need in order to argue a claim with confidence.