In this article I examine New Labour's approach to the transformation of education by focusing on Michael Barber's account of policy delivery, and I show that while historical analysis is relevant to policy processes it is absent in the reality of design. I provide a critical evaluation of knowledge claims underpinning policy in England before I go on to show the importance of history both for and about policy and practice in education, where a specific claim is made for its relevance to futuring and strategising. (Contains 55 footnotes.)