Working alongside local history teachers to prepare for the new GCSE specifications Steve Illingworth and Emma Manners were struck that many teachers were concerned about two issues in particular: the breadth and depth of knowledge demanded and new forms of assessment, especially the historic environment paper. In this article they show how both these concerns might be tackled by going beyond the requirements of the exam. Drawing upon work undertaken as part of a joint project between Edge Hill University and the National Trust they suggest four different approaches to incorporating a study of an historic site into a GCSE course. By thinking more broadly about the opportunities presented by a study of an historic site to enrich pupils' wider period knowledge their approaches transcend the specific requirements of any particular examination rubric, ultimately serving to build both the knowledge "and" the skills pupils need to succeed in the exam.