Recently Viet Nam National Foreign Language 2020 Project was launched as a government initiative to improve the foreign language learning and teaching system nationally. One task of the project is to introduce English at grade 3, which requires significant re-training for the country’s large number of primary English teachers in both English proficiency and methodology. Training-of-trainers (ToT), a cascade model of trainer training, has therefore been adopted as an option. Drawing from two recent ToT programmes in Viet Nam for primary teachers, the paper discusses the needs of the participants and analyses how the programmes have and have not responded to these needs. Adopting the stakeholder approach in evaluation, the study provides an initial formative evaluation based on insider self-assessment. One of the key findings is that, despite significant efforts, the programmes still need a shaper focus on course design and delivery knowledge and a better connection with participants’ target training contexts.