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Court usher

Alternative titles for this job include Court administrative officer

Court ushers support people attending hearings, like jurors and witnesses, and help with court administrative tasks.

Average salary (a year)

£24,000 Starter

to

£27,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

36 to 38

You could work

evenings occasionally

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College

You could take a course at college to learn some of the skills and knowledge needed in this job. 

Courses include:

  • business administration
  • customer service
  • law and legal work

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Public Service Operational Delivery Officer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Customer Service Specialist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Direct Application

You could apply directly for jobs. You'll usually need at least 2 GCSEs, including English at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C).

Experience in similar work, such as customer service or office administration, could be helpful. Employers will also look at your personal qualities and life experience.

More Information

Career tips

Ushers can work in different types of court in the justice system, for example:

  • criminal
  • civil
  • appeals
  • tribunals

Further information

You can get more details about careers in the courts from HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • administration skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a court usher, you could:

  • prepare the courtroom for hearings
  • greet people entering court and direct them to their seats
  • check that witnesses, defendants and lawyers are all present
  • call defendants and witnesses into court and take oaths
  • label evidence and pass it to the judge and jury
  • handle admin duties and update records

If you work as a sworn usher in a crown court, you'll have extra duties, like passing messages between the jury and the judge and stopping unauthorised people from talking to the jury.

Working environment

You could work in a court or in an office.

You may need to wear smart business clothes.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could be in charge of a team of ushers or become a court administrative officer.

You may also use your skills to work in local or central government.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

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Courses In England

Business Administration

  • Provider: CITY OF BRISTOL COLLEGE
  • Start date: Flexible
  • Location: Bristol

Certificate in Business Administration

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Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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