A new era of nursing education has begun in Wales during 2012 based on new standards for pre-registration nursing education published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). While the article focuses on pre-registration learning disability nursing education, the NMC standards can also be used for adult, mental health and children’s nursing education. Partnership working across Wales has resulted in the development of nationally agreed common elements relating to students’ ongoing record of achievement of practice competence, student selection and recruitment principles, a generic educational audit format and student evaluation. Details of the NMC standards are provided, with particular examples of their implementation in learning disability nursing education across Wales.