diff --git a/wagtail/admin/templates/wagtailadmin/pages/listing/_table_headers_explore.html b/wagtail/admin/templates/wagtailadmin/pages/listing/_table_headers_explore.html
index 2af07e545..2d52120c5 100644
--- a/wagtail/admin/templates/wagtailadmin/pages/listing/_table_headers_explore.html
+++ b/wagtail/admin/templates/wagtailadmin/pages/listing/_table_headers_explore.html
@@ -29,43 +29,31 @@ ordering: the current sort parameter
         </th>
     {% endif %}
     <th class="title">
-        {% if sortable %}
-            <a href="{% if ordering == 'title' %}{% querystring ordering='-title' %}{% else %}{% querystring ordering='title' %}{% endif %}" class="icon icon-arrow-{% if ordering == 'title' %}down-after{% elif ordering == '-title' %}up-after{% else %}down-after{% endif %} {% if ordering == 'title' or ordering == '-title' %}teal{% endif %}">
-                {% trans 'Title' %}
-            </a>
-        {% else %}
-            {% trans 'Title' %}
-        {% endif %}
+        {% trans 'Title' as title_label %}
+        {% table_header_label label=title_label sortable=sortable sort_field='title' %}
     </th>
     {% if show_parent %}
-    <th class="parent">{% trans 'Parent' %}</th>
+        <th class="parent">
+            {% trans 'Parent' as parent_label %}
+            {% table_header_label label=parent_label sortable=0 %}
+        </th>
     {% endif %}
      <th class="updated">
-        {% if sortable %}
-            <a href="{% if ordering == 'latest_revision_created_at' %}{% querystring ordering='-latest_revision_created_at' %}{% else %}{% querystring ordering='latest_revision_created_at' %}{% endif %}" class="icon icon-arrow-{% if ordering == '-latest_revision_created_at' %}up-after{% else %}down-after{% endif %} {% if ordering == 'latest_revision_created_at' or ordering == '-latest_revision_created_at' %}teal {% endif %}">
-                {% trans 'Updated' %}
-            </a>
-        {% else %}
-            {% trans 'Updated' %}
-        {% endif %}
+        {% trans 'Updated' as updated_label %}
+        {% table_header_label label=updated_label sortable=sortable sort_field='latest_revision_created_at' %}
     </th>
     <th class="type">
+        {% trans 'Type' as type_label %}
+
         {% if sortable and sortable_by_type %}
-            <a href="{% if ordering == 'content_type' %}{% querystring ordering='-content_type' %}{% else %}{% querystring ordering='content_type' %}{% endif %}" class="icon icon-arrow-{% if ordering == '-content_type' %}up-after{% else %}down-after{% endif %} {% if ordering == 'content_type' or ordering == '-content_type' %}teal {% endif %}">
-                {% trans 'Type' %}
-            </a>
+            {% table_header_label label=type_label sortable=1 sort_field='content_type' %}
         {% else %}
-            {% trans 'Type' %}
+            {% table_header_label label=type_label sortable=0 %}
         {% endif %}
     </th>
     <th class="status">
-        {% if sortable %}
-            <a href="{% if ordering == 'live' %}{% querystring ordering='-live' %}{% else %}{% querystring ordering='live' %}{% endif %}" class="icon icon-arrow-{% if ordering == '-live' %}up-after{% else %}down-after{% endif %} {% if ordering == 'live' or ordering == '-live' %}teal {% endif %}">
-                {% trans 'Status' %}
-            </a>
-        {% else %}
-            {% trans 'Status' %}
-        {% endif %}
+        {% trans 'Status' as status_label %}
+        {% table_header_label label=status_label sortable=sortable sort_field='live' %}
     </th>
     <th></th>
 </tr>
diff --git a/wagtail/admin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py b/wagtail/admin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
index 0359e3ad5..576ced02c 100644
--- a/wagtail/admin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
+++ b/wagtail/admin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from django.contrib.messages.constants import DEFAULT_TAGS as MESSAGE_TAGS
 from django.template.defaultfilters import stringfilter
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
 from django.templatetags.static import static
-from django.utils.html import conditional_escape
+from django.utils.html import conditional_escape, format_html
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 from wagtail.admin.menu import admin_menu
@@ -289,6 +289,52 @@ def querystring(context, **kwargs):
     return '?' + querydict.urlencode()
 
 
+@register.simple_tag(takes_context=True)
+def table_header_label(context, label=None, sortable=True, ordering=None, sort_context_var='ordering', sort_param='ordering', sort_field=None):
+    """
+    A label to go in a table header cell, optionally with a 'sort' link that alternates between
+    forward and reverse sorting
+
+    label = label text
+    ordering = current active ordering. If not specified, we will fetch it from the template context variable
+        given by sort_context_var. (We don't fetch it from the URL because that wouldn't give the view method
+        the opportunity to set a default)
+    sort_param = URL parameter that indicates the current active ordering
+    sort_field = the value for sort_param that indicates that sorting is currently on this column.
+        For example, if sort_param='ordering' and sort_field='title', then a URL parameter of
+        ordering=title indicates that the listing is ordered forwards on this column, and a URL parameter
+        of ordering=-title indicated that the listing is ordered in reverse on this column
+    To disable sorting on this column, set sortable=False or leave sort_field unspecified.
+    """
+    if not sortable or not sort_field:
+        # render label without a sort link
+        return label
+
+    if ordering is None:
+        ordering = context.get(sort_context_var)
+    reverse_sort_field = "-%s" % sort_field
+
+    if ordering == sort_field:
+        # currently ordering forwards on this column; link should change to reverse ordering
+        url = querystring(context, **{sort_param: reverse_sort_field})
+        classname = "icon icon-arrow-down-after teal"
+
+    elif ordering == reverse_sort_field:
+        # currently ordering backwards on this column; link should change to forward ordering
+        url = querystring(context, **{sort_param: sort_field})
+        classname = "icon icon-arrow-up-after teal"
+
+    else:
+        # not currently ordering on this column; link should change to forward ordering
+        url = querystring(context, **{sort_param: sort_field})
+        classname = "icon icon-arrow-down-after"
+
+    return format_html(
+        '<a href="{url}" class="{classname}">{label}</a>',
+        url=url, classname=classname, label=label
+    )
+
+
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=True)
 def pagination_querystring(context, page_number, page_key=DEFAULT_PAGE_KEY):
     """