This paper describes a local initiative that aimed to resolve difficulties experienced by practice teachers in assessing the practice of students undertaking a BSc graduate diploma in community nursing. Practice teachers initially raised a concern that they were unable to make a holistic assessment of a student, as they had no criteria that enabled them to address issues relating to values, attitude and behaviour. Practice teachers and academic staff worked together over a period of time to update assessment practices, developing a Practice Assessment Grid (PAG). The PAG identifies a common language with which practice teachers can benchmark their own values, enabling them to justify their decisions. Evaluation to date indicates that the PAG enables practice teachers to break down the intuitive aspect of the assessment process relating to behaviour, so that they can objectively identify component attributes that are essential to becoming a professional and complete a holistic assessment of the student. As such, this grid has improved confidence in the process of assessing practice by addressing a potentially subjective aspect of assessment.