diff --git a/App/controllers/scheduler.py b/App/controllers/scheduler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed32507
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/controllers/scheduler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from App.models import Staff, Shift
+
+from App.strategies.schedule_generator import ScheduleGenerator
+from App.strategies.evendistribution import EvenDistributionStrategy
+from App.strategies.balancedaynight import BalanceDayNightStrategy
+from App.strategies.minimizedays import MinimizeDaysStrategy
+
+
+
+
+def auto_generate_schedule(strategy_name="even", week_start=None):
+    staff_list = Staff.query.all()
+
+    if not staff_list:
+        raise ValueError("No staff members available for scheduling")
+    
+    generator = ScheduleGenerator()
+    generator.setStaffList(staff_list)
+
+    if strategy_name == "even":
+        generator.setStrategy(EvenDistributionStrategy())
+    elif strategy_name == "balance_day_night":
+        generator.setStrategy(BalanceDayNightStrategy())
+    elif strategy_name == "minimize_days":
+        generator.setStrategy(MinimizeDaysStrategy())
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Unknown strategy name: {strategy_name}")
+    
+    return generator.generateSchedule(week_start)
diff --git a/App/models/schedule.py b/App/models/schedule.py
index 64c0e24..4721595 100644
--- a/App/models/schedule.py
+++ b/App/models/schedule.py
@@ -1,23 +1,38 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 from App.database import db
 
+#updated to match UML class diagram
+
 class Schedule(db.Model):
     id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
-    name = db.Column(db.String(50), nullable=False)
-    created_at = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
-    created_by = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey("user.id"), nullable=False)
+    weekStart = db.Column(db.Date, nullable=True)
     shifts = db.relationship("Shift", backref="schedule", lazy=True)
 
-    def shift_count(self):
-        return len(self.shifts)
+    def get_all_shifts(self):
+        return self.shifts
+    
+    def get_shifts_by_staff(self, staff):
+        return [shift for shift in self.shifts if shift.staff_id == staff.id]
+    
+
+    def add_shift(self, shift):
+        shift.schedule_id = self.id
+        self.shifts.append(shift)
+
+    def validate_schedule(self):
+        if not self.shifts:
+            return False
+        for shift in self.shifts:
+            if shift.staff_id is None:
+                return False
+        return True
+    
 
     def get_json(self):
+
         return {
             "id": self.id,
-            "name": self.name,
-            "created_at": self.created_at.isoformat(),
-            "created_by": self.created_by,
-            "shift_count": self.shift_count(),
+            "weekStart": self.weekStart.strftime("%Y-%m-%d") if self.weekStart else None,
             "shifts": [shift.get_json() for shift in self.shifts]
         }
 
diff --git a/App/strategies/__init__.py b/App/strategies/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bcf862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/strategies/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+from .scheduling_strategy import SchedulingStrategy
+from .schedule_generator import ScheduleGenerator
+from .evendistribution import EvenDistributionStrategy
+from .balancedaynight import BalanceDayNightStrategy
+from .minimizedays import MinimizeDaysStrategy
+
+__all__ = ["SchedulingStrategy", "ScheduleGenerator","EvenDistributionStrategy", "MinimizeDaysStrategy", "BalanceDayNightStrategy"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/App/strategies/balancedaynight.py b/App/strategies/balancedaynight.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b854e35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/strategies/balancedaynight.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+from .scheduling_strategy import SchedulingStrategy
+
+
+
+# again this function was moved to here as it is the only strategy that uses it.
+
+def get_shift_type(shift):
+    if shift is None:
+        return "day"
+    
+    startTime = getattr(shift, "start_time", None)
+    
+    if startTime is not None:
+        if hasattr(startTime, "hour"):
+            hour = startTime.hour
+            if hour >= 18 or hour < 6:
+                return "night"
+            else:
+                return "day"
+    
+    return "day"  
+
+
+class BalanceDayNightStrategy(SchedulingStrategy):
+
+
+    def distribute(self, staff_list, shifts, week_start=None):
+        assignments = {}
+
+        if not staff_list:
+            return assignments
+        
+        staff_ids = [str(staffMember.id) for staffMember in staff_list]
+
+        for staff_id in staff_ids:
+            assignments[staff_id] = []
+
+        counts = {staff_id: {'day': 0, 'night': 0} for staff_id in staff_ids}
+
+        for shift in shifts:
+            shift_type = get_shift_type(shift)
+
+            def score(staff_id):
+                return (counts[staff_id].get(shift_type, 0), len(assignments[staff_id]))
+            
+            chosen_staff = min(staff_ids, key=score)
+            assignments[chosen_staff].append(shift)
+            counts[chosen_staff][shift_type] = counts[chosen_staff].get(shift_type, 0) + 1
+
+
+        return assignments
+
+"""
+This strategy uses a greedy algorithm to balance the number of day and night shifts assigned to each staff member.
+It first determins whether the shift is a day or night shift using the get_shift_type function.
+It calculates a score for each staff member based on how many shifts of that type they already have assigned, as well as their total number of assigned shifts.
+The staff member with the lowest score is chosen to receive the shift, helping to ensure an even distribution of day and night shifts among all staff members.
+
+e.g if s1 has 2 day shifts and s2 has 1, the next day shift will go to s2 to balance it out.
+
+- VR.
+"""
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/App/strategies/evendistribution.py b/App/strategies/evendistribution.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fefc7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/strategies/evendistribution.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from .scheduling_strategy import SchedulingStrategy
+
+
+
+class EvenDistributionStrategy(SchedulingStrategy):
+
+    def distribute(self, staff_list, shifts, week_start=None):
+        assignments = {}
+
+        if not staff_list:
+            return assignments
+        
+
+        staff_ids = [str(staffMember.id) for staffMember in staff_list]
+
+        for staff_id in staff_ids:
+            assignments[staff_id] = []
+        
+        i = 0
+        num_staff = len(staff_ids)
+        
+        for shift in shifts:
+            staff_id = staff_ids[i % num_staff]
+            assignments[staff_id].append(shift)
+            i += 1
+        
+        return assignments
+    
+# This use an even distribution, a round robin approach, to assign shifts to staff members in order. - VR
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/App/strategies/minimizedays.py b/App/strategies/minimizedays.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..485728f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/strategies/minimizedays.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+from .scheduling_strategy import SchedulingStrategy
+
+
+#this method was relocated here as it is only used by this strategy
+
+def get_shift_day(shift):
+    if shift is None:
+        return None
+    
+    startTime = getattr(shift, "start_time", None)
+
+    if startTime is not None:
+        if hasattr(startTime, "date"):
+            return startTime.date()
+    return None
+
+
+class MinimizeDaysStrategy(SchedulingStrategy):
+
+
+    def distribute(self, staff_list, shifts, week_start=None):
+        assignments = {}
+
+        if not staff_list:
+            return assignments
+        
+        staff_ids = [str(staffMember.id) for staffMember in staff_list]
+
+        for staff_id in staff_ids:
+            assignments[staff_id] = []
+        
+        days = {staff_id: set() for staff_id in staff_ids}
+
+        for shift in shifts:
+            shift_day = get_shift_day(shift)
+
+            chosen = None
+
+            for staff_id in staff_ids:
+                if shift_day in days[staff_id]:
+                    chosen = staff_id
+                    break
+
+            if chosen is None:
+                chosen = min(staff_ids, key = lambda x: (len(days[x]), len(assignments[x])))
+            
+            assignments[chosen].append(shift)
+            if shift_day is not None:
+                days[chosen].add(shift_day)
+                
+
+        return assignments
+    
+
+"""
+This strategy as the name suggests aims to reduce the number of distinct days that each staff members comes in to work.
+When a new shift is to be assigned, it first checks if there is any staff member who is already scheduled to work on that day.
+If such a staff member is found, the shift is assigned to them, so that they can work multiple shifts on the same day and thus minimize the total number of days they need to come in.
+If no staff member is already scheduled for that day, the strategy selects the staff member who currently has the fewest distinct working days.
+If there is a tie, it further breaks the tie by choosing the staff member with the fewest total assigned shifts.
+This gives the staff more complete days off by goruping all their shifts into fewer days instead of spreading them out.
+- VR.
+
+
+"""
diff --git a/App/strategies/schedule_generator.py b/App/strategies/schedule_generator.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd6311c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/strategies/schedule_generator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+from App.models import Schedule, Staff, Shift
+from App.database import db
+
+
+
+class ScheduleGenerator:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.strategy = None
+        self.staffList = []
+
+    def setStrategy(self, strategy):
+        self.strategy = strategy
+
+    def setStaffList(self, staffList):
+        self.staffList = staffList
+
+    def generateSchedule(self, week_start=None):
+        if self.strategy is None:
+            raise ValueError("No scheduling strategy set")
+        
+        if not self.staffList:
+            raise ValueError("Staff list is empty")
+    
+        unassigned_shifts = Shift.query.filter_by(staff_id = None).all()
+
+        if not unassigned_shifts:
+            raise ValueError("No unassigned shifts available for scheduling")
+        
+        assignments = self.strategy.distribute(self.staffList, unassigned_shifts, week_start)
+
+        new_schedule = Schedule(weekStart=week_start)
+
+        db.session.add(new_schedule)
+        db.session.flush()
+
+        for staff_id, shifts in assignments.items():
+            for shift in shifts:
+                shift.staff_id = int(staff_id)
+                shift.schedule_id = new_schedule.id
+                
+        db.session.commit()
+
+        return new_schedule
+    
diff --git a/App/strategies/scheduling_strategy.py b/App/strategies/scheduling_strategy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b78615
--- /dev/null
+++ b/App/strategies/scheduling_strategy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+
+class SchedulingStrategy(ABC):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def distribute(self, staff, shifts, week_start=None):
+        raise NotImplementedError("distribute must be implemented by subclasses")
\ No newline at end of file