The agency of primary school English teachers in the New Curriculum Reform has a great impact on the quality of English teaching and the professional development of teachers. Research on the agency of primary school English teachers in northwest Yunnan Province helps to reveal how they participate in teaching reform. This paper, based on the analysis of interview discourse within the framework of Positioning Theory, examines the tensions arising from various conflicts revealed by the teachers involved in the study. The analysis identifies several including the clash between teachers’ actual teaching behavior and their ideals, between their agency and their recognition of rights and duties; and between their understanding of students’ needs for overall development and specific needs in English learning. The findings suggest that primary school English teachers should focus more on children’s needs for overall growth, especially their socio-emotional development rather than solely on achieving a high level of expertise in English teaching. These research findings are significant for properly understanding and respecting local primary school English teachers, and promoting their professional development.